Bag closer



De 4, 1962 K. w. DOMIGAN 3,066,846

BAG CLOSER Filed June 9, 1960 Kennel/r W Dom/gun INVENTOR.

BY WWW 3m step;

United States Pater 3,066,846 BAG CLOSER Kenneth W. Domigan, Fairborn,Ohio, assignor to Whirl- A-Seal Corporation, Middletown, Ohio, acorporation of Ohio Filed June 9, 1960, Ser. No. 34,954 4 Claims. (Cl.22963) This invention relates to new and useful improvements in closersparticularly, although not necessarily, for bags of cellophane,polyethylene, etc., and has for its primary object to provide, in amanner as hereinafter set forth, a device of this character which isadapted to both seal the bag and provide a convenient, comfortablecarrying handle therefor.

Another very important object of the present invention is to provide acombined sealer and carrying handle of the aforementioned characterwhich may be expeditiously applied to and removed from bags of varioussizes.

Still another very important object of the invention is to provide a bagsealer and carrying handle of the character described which may be usedon bags which have been substantially filled or only partially filled.

Another object of the invention is to provide a bag sealer and carryinghandle which, if desired, may be re-used.

Other objects of the invention are to provide a bag sealer and carryinghandle which will be comparatively simple in construction, strong,durable, of light weight and which may be manufactured at low cost.

These together with other objects and advantages which will becomesubsequently apparent reside in the details of construction andoperation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, whereinlike numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a bag sealer and carrying handleconstructed in accordance with the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view, illustrating the first step in applyingthe device to a bag to be sealed;

FIGURE 3 is a perspective view, showing the second FIGURE 4 is aperspective view, showing the connecting tabs or plates beinginterlocked to provide a handle;

FIGURE 5 is a perspective view, showing the device after its applicationto the bag has been completed;

FIGURE 6 is a top plan view of the handle;

FIGURE 7 is a View in side elevation thereof; and

FIGURE 8 is a view in transverse secion on an enlarged scale through thetop portion of the bag, taken substantially on the line 88 of FIGURE 5.

Referring now to the drawing in detail, it will be seen that theembodiment of the invention which has been illustrated comprises a pairof thin, flexible strands 9 of wire or other suitable material. Ofcourse, the strands 9 may be of any desired length. Secured in anysuitable manner between the end portions of the strands 9 is a pair ofelongated, bendable plates or tabs 10 of metal, plastic or othersuitable material.

The tabs 10 are adapted to be interlocked in a manner to detachablyconnect the ends of the strands 9 and to provide a carrying handle 11.Toward this end, the tabs 10 are provided in their end portions withangular inner and outer slots 12 and 13, respectively, the inner endportions 19 of which, it will be noted, extend toward the free or outerends of said tabs. The slots 12 and 13, which extend into the tabs 10from the opposite longitudinal edges thereof, define inner and outerinterlocking hooks or the like 14 and 15, respectively.

V ice It is thought that the use of the device will be readily apparentfrom a consideration of the foregoing, taken in conjunction with thedrawing. Briefly, the strands 9 are bowed outwardly as shown in FIGURE 2of the drawing for receiving therebetween the neck portion 16 of a bag17 to be sealed. The strands 9 are then drawn taut or straightened onthe bag neck. The tabs 16 are then turned or twirled for twisting thestrands 9 and folding or rolling the neck portion 16 of the bag (seeFIGURE 3). The roll 18 thus formed closes and seals the bag in anobvious manner. The tabs 10 are then brought upwardly and inwardly overthe bag and positioned angularly on each other substantially as shown inFIGURE 4 of the drawing to bring the slots 12 and 13 into opposedrelation. With the end portions of the uppermost or top tab engagedunder the cor-responding portions of the lower or bottom tab, said tabsare turned in opposite directions relative to each other to bring saidtabs into parallelism. Thus, the tabs are engaged with the inner ends ofthe slots 12 and 13. The tabs 10 are then moved longitudinally outwardlyrelative to each other for engagement in the longitudinally extendinginner end portions 19 of the angular slots 12 and 13. Of course, toseparate the tabs 10 and open the bag 17 the foregoing procedure issubstantially reversed. The device may be readily applied to partiallyfilled bags as well as to those which have been substantially filled.With the tabs 10 connected to provide the carrying handle 11 the strands9 are prevented from untwisting and the neck portion of the bag fromunrolling.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles ofthe invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes Willreadily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limitthe invention to the exact construction and operation shown anddescribed, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalentsmay be resorted to, falling with-in the scope of the invention asclaimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A bag closer comprising a pair of flexible, parallel wires forreceiving the neck portion of a bag therebetween and adapted to betwisted together for rolling and closing said neck portion, and a pairof opposed, duplicate, flat, rectangular resilient plates mountedlongitudinally on the ends of the wires, said plates having in their endportions angular slots extending transversely thereinto from theopposite longitudinal edges thereof and terminating in longitudinalinner end portions and providing hooks, the hooks of each plate beingtransversely and then longitudinally slidable in the slots of the otherplate for interlockingly engaging the hooks, through said slots, withthe opposite side of said other plate for detachably connecting the endsof the wires for preventing untwisting thereof and providing a carryinghandle therebetween.

2. A bag closer in accordance with claim 1, wherein said longitudinalinner end portions of the slots extend toward the free ends of theplates.

3. A bag closer comprising a pair of parallel, closely adjacentresilient wires for receiving the neck portion of a bag therebetween,and a pair of resilient, elongated duplicate plates fixedly securedbetween the end portions of the pair of wires and extendinglongitudinally therefrom and providing means for twisting said wirestogether and rolling the neck portion of the bag thereon for closing thebag, said plates having transverse slots in their end portions extendingthereinto from the opposite longitudinal edges thereof and includingangularly extending inner end portions, said slots providing hooks onthe plates, the hooks of each plate being transversely and thenlongitudinally slidable in the slots of the other plate 3 forinterlockingly engaging the hooks, through said slots, with said otherplate on the opposite side thereof for detachably connecting the ends ofthe Wl1S in spaced relation for preventing untwisting thereof andproviding a carrying handle therebetween.

4. A bag closer in accordance with claim 3, said angularly extendinginner end portions 0115 said slots extending longitudinally toward thefree ends of the plates for slidably receiving the hooks When the platesare moved longitudinally away from each other.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS DavisJan. 30, Wand June 11, Hale May 8, Mortensen Nov. 6, Zaar et al Nov. 17,

FOREIGN PATENTS France Apr. 16,

